Getting from 1800 to 2000 on chess.com

Hey guys,

would you recommend me any online courses/lessons (maybe even books, but I'm quite lazy for that) that would help me to improve to 2k rating on chess.com? (I got relatively close to 1900 max and can get to 1800+ if I tryhard atm, FIDE rated about 1650)

There is ton of really good stuff for intermediates online, but once you even slightly scratch a tiny bit more advanced level it gets more complicated.

I'm not looking for improving in openings or tactics (thats relatively easy to learn), but rather something that would help me out to understand chess deeper. So more about long term planning, seeing more ahead, positional play - understanding positions better and deeper.

Like changing the way of thinking from intermediate a little bit.

I'm not paticularly looking for a coach (I have a guy I can write to sometimes), but it's always rather expensive if it would make any sense I think. I mean you would really need to study with the coach regularly and then costs really add up.

Ty!!!

not really (in any case that was not what i was curious about)

Hi! I can recommend you my blog, and particularly a post on chess skills improvement, please follow the link: https://www.chess.com/blog/maafernan/chess-skills-development

Good luck!

Hey I am not 1800 nor 2000 so I don't think I am qualified to answer your question, however I think the most important thing to practise is calculation. If you can out-calculate your opponent you will do better than them 9/10 times and I have heard many GMs say that tactics/calculation is the most important for us amateur players.

Well being 1800 to start with would help. But also usually checkmating the opponent works.

yes of course not however those two are probably most important at amateur level followed by strategy and endgame strategy

Be faster and don't miscalculate. 2000 is all about who is more faster and clearer in calculations and tactics. Knowing common endgames (general play) is also very important. Playing over 100s of master games from opening lines you play will refine your middlegame. Follow these tips for months daily and someday, something will click and you will break through.

It really depends on which rating you want to improve to 2000:

Blitz: work on both speed and calculation, do loads of tactics to spot it instantaneously. Usually at 1600-1800 you should have decent enough opening/endgame principles.

Rapid: Focus on the accuracy of calculation. Endgame studies are great for this, they force you to sit down and calculate long variations accurately (this is how I originally got to 2000: after that, it's noticing subtle changes in positions). Playing positionally will come with experience (e.g. open or closed, when the time is right to go for an attack, etc.) Also keep practicing blitz skills (not too much), as you may find yourself in time trouble scenarios.

Good luck with getting to 2000!

@Bauch

I would say learn your openings vs obscure lines better and try to make less weakening moves.

In the most recent two games that you lost in rapid in both your opponent played a mediocre line giving you an opening advantage. However in both games you weakened your position(with e5 and g3 vs VikramMark and Ucoez respectively) instead of developing normally.

For this try and look at games where like a 2200+ FIDE player who knows your opening well beat someone around your level or lower.

This is helpful because the opponent probably made a mistake in the opening(like many of your opponents) and the 2200+FIDE players WILL DEFINETLY punish these mistakes and you can learn from it.

Hey thx, thats sounds like an advice.

Its difficult to spot such moves for me atm... not e5 (that was a stupidity in its simplest form), but g3 in the other game is more tricky.
In any case I bought two books - The complete manual of positional chess and 4th book from Yusupov (that seems just about right for my rating based on 1st excercise) so I'll see where it takes me. Though it will take like a year to go through it all

Okay, you can analyze your games with stockfish engine and watch top players chess games on YouTube it's very interesting and useful

Hey bro I offer private lessons, first one is free.

Good Positional Chess, Planning & Strategy Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-positional-chess-planning-strategy

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

Alright.... 1900 beaten, 100 more to go.

I will comment on Yusupov book only (4th one) that I bought. It is about as difficult as it can be to make sense for me on my current rating. I did very few chapters but even that helped me. I think I will reach my 2k goal before I finish the book.

Its ez